well. as i'm hitting the freelance stages again and need to sound my ABSOUTE best to put food on the table, this is the best setup i could come up with..
My Bergantino 322 cab arrives tomorrow, so i went and got this Crown CE2000 , gonna pump 1,940 watts into the Berg's 4 ohms - In my search for a preamp ( I was gonna use the Roland V bass as a pre, but it lacqued warmth..) the best sounding was this very simple but amazing sounding Avalon U5 - I wish I could afford the Avalon VT737!! but this little box has a million dollar sound!! The MTD635 sounds amazing thru it- nuances I never heard before-
can't wait to hook it up to that Bergie!

I love how the rack ears for the Avalon have ads on themLike you need a reminder why you bought it?! Or, maybe, if someone comes up and asks you about your rig, you can just silently point to the text. Heh.

That should sound killer! I don't have any experience with the Avalon, but I gather it's relatively clear sounding, and with 2kw . . . ooh la la!

Hey Adrian,
Check out this link and read my rant about MTD - Avalon - QSC PLX - Wayne Jones. I'm still honeymooning with this rig. The latest thing I've done is build a 3/4" plywood cab platform with carpet on the top and dense foam underneath. It uncouples my rig from the floor when a hollow stage or a bad room gets boomy.

fellas- thanks!
man- the bergantino gets here today , so i cant report on it, but that Crown was happenning! the thing is, i dont know squat about power amps- i looked at the QCS plx 2204 (?) and liked it a lot- but the reason i went with crown is that friend Doc Greene from GuitarShowcase, who is LIVING pro sound, suggested the Crown- something about not wanting digital switching power supplies, blah, blah.. but the reason i DID get theCrown was i heard w BIG system at .. gulp.. Guitar Center, and it was driving the hell out of it!! i took one into the bass room and loved they way it "sounded" ( power amps arent supposed to "sound" like anything- the amplify.)
Also- the price i got the hookup at GC and got the amp for $509, the QSC was a few hundred more and everyone reccommended the Crown anyway.
The avalon was simplicity and beauty- it has those preset eq's- preset- so i had reservations- but man, the SOUND!! clean, clear, just happening!!- the number 2 setting is ideal for my MTD- i pretty much stole it for $399- i want the 737 so bad now i can taste it!!- i am looking to se if i can find one at a reasonable price- i cant spent $2000 on a pre now- but i WOULD!!- it would be perfect for my home protools studio as well- i am an instant Avalon freak!
i dont get the feeling all t his stuff was designed for extreme eqing anyway- Jim Bergantinoi said- "the best preamp is no preamp at all"- so i took that and went with it- i have a great pre with lots of eq right the on my bass- the Avalon kicks into hi gear and the Crown destroys- mind you- im not looking to be louder as much as im looking to be CLEANER. This should be good- i have a gig t the House of Blues this weekend- we'll see how it goes..
funny- i dont get gassy for amps- my GAS revolves around those wooden sticks with strings on them

later.. the next day...
UPDATE...
the Bergantino arrived!! SMOKING!!! this thing can really handle a beating- and i dont play hard or loud, but its nice to know its there if you need it. really tight sound with very smooth hi's-- i love this cab!!
however...
as much as im diggin the Avalon- i may need more eq-- there's really ONE setting that sounds great on bass, but im not too comfy with not being able to eq at all. Its too bad, because the Avalon sound is amazing.. and i can't afford the big daddy 737. so...
i ordered another EBS classic pre-- got a great deal on a demo ( hardly demoed) and for the miniscule difference in price, i went withthe EBS- the Avalon goes back..
unless someone here wants it for what i paid-- $400.
the Crown .. so far so good- i know there are better and bigger amps- but at $509 for almost 2000 watts- im cool.. the saga continues...

Hmm.. adrian that Avalon is kinda sweet.. I have been waiting almost a month for my swr IOD preamp to get here and still I haven't gotten anyword on it yet...... if you still have it.. I may be interested... i am a bit weary of the minimalistic type preamp.. but I usually leave my preamp in one place anyways...